Patent Trial and Appeal Board Chief Judge David Ruschke Has Accepted a New Position

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board Chief Judge David Ruschke Has Accepted a New Position

Andrei Iancu[1], Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), appointed the former Chief Judge of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), David P. Ruschke,[2] to serve as Senior Advisor at the Office of the Commissioner for Patents. In an emailed statement on August 14, 2018, Iancu said Ruschke’s new role will help “improve internal coordination between the office and the PTAB.”

The PTAB “is charged with rendering decisions on: appeals from adverse examiner decisions, post-issuance challenges to patents and interferences.”[3] The PTAB was formed in 2011 as part of the America Invents Act and replaced the former Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) on September 16, 2012.

Ruschke was appointed as Chief Judge of the PTAB in May 2016. Prior to his appointment, Ruschke was Chief Patent Counsel for Medtronic’s coronary and structural heart unit where he worked for 12 years. Iancu noted that Ruschke’s “breadth of experience means he is well-positioned to address the concerns of our stakeholders, patent examiners, and PTAB judges” and that Iancu “look[s] forward to working with David to improve intra-agency cooperation.”

Scott Boalick[4] will serve as the acting Chief Judge and Jacqueline Bonilla[5] will be the acting deputy Chief Judge until the USPTO can find a permanent replacement.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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